I. Outreach

The mission of the outreach arm of the Center is to promote education in the area of nutrition for individuals engaging in strenuous physical activities.

We are the leaders in education of the community regarding the role of exercise and good nutrition towards attaining health and disease prevention.

We assist in the establishment of sound nutritional practices which will ensure health and safety while promoting optimal performance; this program provides education and guidance for athletes, coaches, trainers, sports medicine providers and administrative policy makers.

In keeping with our mission as a Land Grant University, our agenda includes an outreach effort that provides educational opportunities and develop materials specially designed to address the needs of students, coaches, and parents in public schools and the community, in both rural and urban settings.

We disseminate sound nutrition and physical activity information aimed at improving health, preventing injury, and promoting healthy growth in those under served groups who exist outside the usual realm of higher education.

 

II. Academics

The academic mission for the Center is to develop joint academic programs to promote education in the areas of nutrition and exercise science. We are developing a certificate program in Nutrition for Human Performance for undergraduates, as well as individuals already working as health professionals.

We are developing a M.S. and Ph.D. degree option within Nutrition that emphasizes Human Performance. Courses required for this specialization will be a Clinical and Applied Sports Nutrition course, as well as upper level courses already offered in Nutrition and Exercise Science. Furthermore, the graduate students' research must emphasize the area of exercise/sport nutrition.

 

III. Research

The mission of this unit is to foster and coordinate research that examines the special nutrient requirements, metabolism, and energy balance associated with regular participation in sports or related physical activity. We are also interested in the role of nutrition and exercise in managing weight and promoting good health.

Basic research clarifies the roles of specific nutrients and their physiologic and metabolic effects in physically active and trained individuals. Applied research directly benefits athletes to maintain health and peak performance

The roles of exercise and nutrition throughout the healthy life span are examined with emphasis on issues of weight management, growth, aging, and disease prevention.

For many students, college represents the first time when they must make choices on their own about food. In addition, exercise patterns that were developed in their home communities are interrupted and changed. We are working to set up the University as a laboratory community to develop, implement, and evaluate intervention program to promote a healthy lifestyle.